Chalishan Rad Scorpions
Hailing from the Death/Industrial World of Chalish, the Chalishan Rad scorpions are renowned for two things, their experience in surviving highly radioactive environments and making an enemy fight heavily for every inch of ground. It is of note that they are also rather amiable with the Adeptus Mechanicus (As both hold a great deal of appreciation for technology, the Mechanicus out of venerable worship and the Chalishan's out of appreciation for it), indeed it was rumored that the Sekban Order is in fact giving small tithes to the Adeptus Mechanicus. Since the Foundation of the New Imperium though, Chalish has been beset by hard times. The Silent Mass desertion of the Sekban order to the Imperial Remnant, and the True Cult Mechanicus terrorist spree has caused Chalish to fall into a time of troubles, and Chalishans immigrants flow in waves out of the Hive City spaceports to preserve this proud nation. Homeworld According to ancient weathered and corrupted Data, Chalish was once a vibrant Industrial Colony world from the Dark Age of Technology, ruled by it's wise Technocrat council it seemed the golden days would never end. However, this world on the edge of the Halo Stars was the subject of a harsh and vicious change. What records remain say that it was the site of a battle with a strange alien fleet, that while destroyed, made the surface of Chalish near entirely uninhabitable by humankind. Today Chalish's population lives in converted mining colonies turned massive underground hive cities, with the ruined hive cities being remnants of the past regularly scavenged. The Surface is by and large home only to the dangerous mutant creatures now, but there are various Hunter supply cache outposts, and there are a myriad of ancient relics to be found in the ruined hive cities. Previously there used to be Sekban outposts and supply caches, but given the silent defection of the Sekban Order, these were all found to be rapidly packed up by the Sekban. Native Life Chalish can be best considered a dangerous place, what with radioactive sandstorms and extremely few sources of clean water outside of the Hive cities. Chalish is most notable for the Chal'Arax, a strange mutant lifeform that many surmise are the mutant offspring of Old Terra Horses mutated by the Human-Alien War long ago, the Chal'Arax differs from terran horses in the sturdy chitinous plates that grow over the horse hide and the viciously sharp mandibles jutting out of the mouth. While a Chal'Arax loses some ferocity upon domestication, it is still a formidable warmount, with natural body armour it is no surprise these are the Chalishan Cataphracts mount of choice. Chal'Arax are among the most notable of Chalishan Wildlife, though there exists carefully preserved herd fauna within the Hive Cities Biodomes that hints towards the planet's better days, and are a source of tourism income as it's not everyday you see the relics of an old world. Chalishan Culture Chalishans believe that the calamities that have befallen them are due to their preferring a life of comfort, and as such, their eternal war for survival both on Chalish and throughout the Imperium is a test in their eyes. A test of wether they and their constructions and inventions are worthy, and they will not fail without a fight. Since the founding of the New Imperium, any form of Machine worship is strictly monitored after the defection of the entire Sekban Order. The entire Chalishan people hold more of an emphasis on practicality than anything else, as a result they have barely any artists and sculpturers, and before the New Imperium their loyalty was called into question (Some more radical ecclesiarchy personal even recommending purging the planet) due to the Chalishan treating the Imperial Cult as more of a duty then a choice. Chalishan daily life is highly scheduled, and this is especially noticeable to traveler's, who note that almost every store and facility run on the same schedule (For that reason, At the spaceport arrivals section pamphlets and downloads are handed of Chalishan schedule.). Chalish is run on the prinicple of efficiency, reflected in how every structure is designed for spatial efficiency and defensive efficiency, And the planet's Academies are among the Academic Elite (And also, highly capable Fortresses). While the Planetary Governor is the de jure ruler of the planet, the highly decentralized state of the planet and it's unappealingness to foreign nobility makes centralized rule a nightmare, and as such every Chalishan Hive City is governed by it's own COE (Council Of Efficiency). The Council of efficiency is comprised of ministers elected for their efficiency in their field of work, and every year the COEs review the efficiency of council members, so far there has been no case of a COE member refusing to step down for his successor. Some among the New Mechanicus call Chalish's rule of Government a 'Worker's Democracy' or 'Corporatist Democracy', but it is considered a compliment given that Chalish gladly contributes to the New Imperium, on time and always on the promised amount. Chalish Forces The Chalishan Rad Scorpions pride themselves on their efficiency, and for this reason all Chalishan NCOs and Officers are given basic training in every doctrine of warfare, but the Chalishan Rad Scorpions are at their strongest skirmishing amidst the desert sands. To date, every New Imperium regiment to come from Chalish is either a Mechanized Infantry or Armored Division. Chalishan Regiments have earned the moniker 'The Iron Sandstorm of Death', due to the battle on Kronus, where the 90th Chalishan Armored division charged the heretic lines during the midst of a vicious sandstorm. Organizational problems have more or less abated with the New Imperium, as previously non-Chalishans were sometimes placed as commanders, and tensions flared among the organizational hierarchy due to Chalishan culture and their aggressive warlike native language. As of the new Imperium, organizational problems are nonexistant due to the New Imperial Academies enabling a rise in Native officers, along with mutual understanding from Foreign officers. Cataphract Order Formed to replace the Sekban Order after it's defection to the Imperial Remnant, the Cataphract Order is unusual and unlike the Sekban Order, they are an elite force of Cyberneticly enhanced soldiers that have a role akin to Stormtroopers. The Cataphracts operate as something of an Unorthodox form of Rough Riders. Clad in Cataphract pattern Carapace Armor and wielding Cataphract Weapons, they ride into battle atop mighty armored Impalers and are indeed a fearsome force. While the Sekban was an elite mechanized cyborg infantry force, the Cataphracts are Rough riders equal in skill to the Attilans. The Cataphract Order is secular unlike it's predecessors. And are trained to use both themselves and their mounts as weapons, should the initial throwing of Boomer-Bolas fail they will charge into the fray with their lances, and if that fails they will engage in brutal melee using their scimitar and Chal'Arax as ferocious weapons. Chalishan Armory Due to Chalish's extreme industrialization, it's no surprise that chalish's regiments are all armed with Chalishan made weapons. Listed are the following unique weapons of the Chalishans: *C-AL 13 Lascarbine (Chalish-Autolaser), Notable among soldiers as being a weapon with notoriously high spread in automatic mode, it was designed for CQC and for Mechanized Infantry divisions. *C-ML 3 (Chalish-Multilauncher), What the Chalish Multilauncher lacks in mobility, it makes up for in it's versatility and Armor piercing capability. The C-ML 3 is however incapable of being lifted by a two man team, instead being ferried about the field either on SAVs (Sandstorm Assault Vehicle) or towed on a wheeled cart, but it was capable of fulfilling both battlefield antitank roles and field artillery. It is also sometimes called the 'Rocket Flakk Cannon', as it is capable of loading and firing Flak Missiles, it is rarely done though as the job is better left to Dedicated AA pieces. *SAV (Sandstorm Assault Vehicle), one of the various armor pieces developed from the Chalishan STC, the SAV is a multipurpose assault vehicle, and is designed to have the horsepower to allow it to rapidly assault positions even while carrying a heavy weapons team onboard. SAVs often have designations according to their rear mounted turret (SAV-ML, SAV-HMG, etc.). *Vinah (Scorpion in Chalishan Language) Tank, the main battle tank of choice for Chalishans aside from the venerable Leman Russ, The Vinah tank surrenders some armor capability for greater speed, and is ideally designed for combat across the desert steppes. The Standard Vinah Tank is armed with a 135mm Vinahstrik (Scorpion Stinger) Cannon, but Vinah tank models similar in armamant and designation to the Leman Russ submodels are produced.